LAYTON — A former Farmington police lieutenant has admitted soliciting prostitution.
Shane Whitaker, 41, pleaded guilty Tuesday in 2nd District Court to patronizing a prostitute, a class B misdemeanor.
He agreed to a suspended jail term of 180 days, according to Steve Garside, deputy city attorney for Layton. Whitaker also must perform 48 hours of community service, pay a $750 fine and submit to HIV testing. He will be on "informal probation" for eight months, meaning the court will leave his file open to make sure he complies with the sentence, Garside said.
Whitaker was second in command at the Farmington Police Department when he was arrested July 1 in an undercover prostitution sting at a Layton hotel. He subsequently resigned.
His attorney, Greg Skordas, said Whitaker is doing computer work in a related field and would like to return to law enforcement someday, though he realizes that might not be possible. Now that his criminal case is resolved, Whitaker faces potential disciplinary action from the Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, which could suspend his certification to be a police officer.